His Excellency Dr Saad bin Saud Al Fuhaid, President of the Arabian Gulf University (AGU), has recently issued a decision appointing Dr Aseel Fouad Al Saleh as the Dean of Student Affairs at the university.

Dr Al Saleh expressed her pride and gratitude for assuming the role of Dean of Student Affairs at AGU, considering this appointment a significant milestone in her professional journey. She affirmed that this position represents a substantial responsibility and an opportunity to contribute to enhancing the role of students as a key pillar in the educational process, emphasising the importance of providing a supportive and inspiring environment that enables students to realise their academic and personal aspirations.

She commented on the occasion: “The Arabian Gulf University has always been a leading institution in the field of health education and postgraduate studies within the GCC countries. I look forward to contributing to the development of programmes and activities that elevate the university’s status and fulfil the aspirations of its students in an advanced educational environment.”

Dr Al Saleh also addressed the significance of building bridges of cooperation among students, faculty members and administration to achieve integration in academic work and extracurricular activities, reflecting the university’s image as an educational edifice concerned with excellence and creativity in all fields.

In conclusion of her statement, she expressed her gratitude and appreciation to the university administration for the trust they have placed in her, reaffirming her commitment to working diligently and continuously for the benefit of students and to enhance their university experience.

Prior to her appointment as Dean of Student Affairs, Dr Al Saleh served as an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at AGU. Additionally, she worked as a nutrition expert at the King Abdullah University Hospital of the Arabian Gulf University. Dr Al Saleh played a significant role in formulating and implementing the preventive protocol for the COVID-19 pandemic at the university and was appointed in 2023 as an advisor to the Bahraini Minister of Health on health programmes.

Moreover, Dr Al Saleh is a registered nutritionist specialised in obesity, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, food allergies and kidney and liver issues, as well as genetics. Before joining AGU in 2018, she worked at Imperial College London, where she led research into diabetes prevention in the United Kingdom. After obtaining her PhD from King’s College London, Dr Al Saleh resumed her research and teaching activities at the same university before joining Imperial College London.

During her doctoral studies, she conducted extensive research into the impact of diet and gene interaction in determining the risks of obesity and diabetes, serving as the principal investigator in two multicentre genetic studies in the UK. She later completed research training at Harvard Medical School.

Her findings have been published in high-level scientific journals and have been extensively cited, with her doctoral research recognised by the Nutrition Society as the best research work in the UK for that year. Dr Al Saleh continues her work and research at the Arabian Gulf University, alongside her practice of providing nutritional consultations at her clinic in King Abdullah Medical City.